Meet Mk MacNaughton: a spark of creativity, generosity, and play! Check out her suggestions for the best gifts for artists this season.

Q: What do you do by day and what do you do by night/weekend? A: By day I draw and paint. This year I had the goal of running 1000 miles and reading 50 books and I'm almost there! A week and a half to go. My goal is to spend less time on screens and more time reading.

Q: What do you like to do for fun?A: I run early in the morning, every morning! I am a cleat connoisseur and I have different specialized footgear for thin black ice, thick black snow, you name it. I ran 4 miles this morning at Salmon Creek with my cleats on rubber boots.And I Love having a break with my kids--really appreciate that now that they're getting older. I structure my day around family time.

Q: What do you gather around? A: Everything I do is centered around art, family, and friends. I'm lucky that my passion intersects with my job and I'm grateful to have found a balance where it involves the people I love.

"It is much easier to take notes at an angle! To do lists become entertaining and visually pleasing, even if you don't finish... (self-assigned tasks). Without the usual lines, I felt free! You are tricked into being organized."

Grids and Guides Notebook, $16.95

"I love all of these candles! Perfect for home or for studio. I buy a bunch as gifts! Fights the mildew of the rainy season and brings holiday cheer and light. Helps people know the studio is open when I put a candle in the window. They burn safely in their jars so you don't have to hover over it and worry about flames. We didn't do a Christmas tree this year since we'll be traveling (to Spain!) over the holidays so we're a little low on decorations, but somehow just having a lit candle is a quick way to look festive."

Orange Cardamom Soy Candles, $12-20

"Adorable. Practical. Flash the bones! Fun surprise. I have a small wallet that doesn't have room for coins so this is a great supplement. Well-admired everywhere I go!"

"Designed to show up against your tree (not a lot of greens). Lightweight so it doesn't drag down the tree branches. All local scenes by a local artist and locally printed! You are supporting three local businesses (artist, printer, KP) by buying them here! Trifecta of local support."

Ornaments by MK MacNaughton, $19.95

"THIS is beautifully designed. I have many art pencils that don't fit standard sharpeners so it's actually incredibly useful and delightful. As a special knife, I like to give it to art students to carefully use for their sharpening.The art of sharpening! And CUTE!"